James Harden – 2009 NBA Draft Preview
June 19, 2009 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under NBA News, NBA Teams
Although he isn’t getting a huge amount of publicity, James Harden is going to be one of the first names called during the 2009 NBA Draft. The guard out of Arizona State will likely go as high as second and as low as fifth.
James Harden Scouting Report (Image: Zuma Press)
The aspect of Harden’s game that the scouts love the most is his ability to put the ball in the hole. Last year, as a sophomore at Arizona State, Harden averaged 20.1 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. He shot 48.9% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the three-point arc.
Despite not being an explosive athlete, Harden can score thanks to his very good jumper and his smarts around the basket. Even in the NBA, he should be able to score right out of the box.
The question marks in his game mostly surround his height. At 6-foot-5, Harden isn’t the optimal height you’d want from a shooting guard. He also isn’t enough of a playmaker to be a point guard. Add in his average athleticism and he might get overwhelmed by the bigger players in the NBA.
That said, he has very long arms and his overall basketball IQ should allow him to compensate for any shortcomings. When it comes to flat out scoring, Harden has to be considered to be near the head of the 2009 NBA Draft class.
